Credo is the fulfillment of Hatzis's life-long dream to have the opportunity to musically collaborate with George Dalaras, one of his favourite Greek pop singers, on a classical composition written especially for his voice. The vocal writing is prosodic, following closely the rhythmic and melodic profile of the spoken text and its syntax, in a style known in Greece as entechno laiko ("art popular"). The rhythmic pulse is often in the easily recognizable 9/2 meter of zeibekiko, a popular dance in Greece. Conversely, the orchestral writing travels a great distance, constantly commenting on the vocal writing but often juxtaposing on it a more ecumenical sound which crosses borders, genres and theological divisions.
Born in Greece, educated in the United States and a Canadian citizen since 1985, composer Christos Hatzis (b.1953) is becoming widely known as a leading figure in contemporary classical music. His works are performed and broadcast throughout the world, and their frequent combination of a powerful spiritual foundation with an immediately accessible appeal has made a deep emotional impact upon audiences and performers alike.
